'Big ideas' for Oak Ridge Animal Shelter outlined

The Oak Ridge Animal Shelter has been getting a facelift, but other “big ideas” are being tossed around to make the shelter more animal- and people-friendly.

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By Beverly Majors

Oakridger - Oak Ridge, TN

By Beverly Majors

Posted Nov. 26, 2012 at 6:25 PM
Updated Nov 26, 2012 at 6:27 PM

By Beverly Majors

Posted Nov. 26, 2012 at 6:25 PM
Updated Nov 26, 2012 at 6:27 PM

Oak Ridge, Tenn.

The Oak Ridge Animal Shelter has been getting a facelift, but other “big ideas” are being tossed around to make the shelter more animal- and people-friendly.

Oak Ridge Police Lt. Robin Smith told the Oak Ridge City Council at a recent work session that the Shelter staff is taking “steps to success” to keep animals out of the shelter, but also working on ways to make adoptions a priority when animals are abandoned or surrendered — for whatever reason.

The Animal Shelter falls under the Police Department’s supervision and has recently made changes in personnel. Most recently, the Police Department hired two new animal control officers, whom Police Chief Jim Akagi described as “mature and dedicated individuals.”

Randy Proffitt began working last week and Sara Walter will start in two weeks. Proffitt is a former TVA police officer from Kingsport while Walter is an Oak Ridge Army veteran who served as a military police officer in Iraq.

“We have so many great ideas coming in at the Shelter,” said Akagi about the new personnel and the potential changes for the future.

And, those “steps to success” and future “dreams” include: Keeping animals out of the shelter; giving sound advice to pet owners; reuniting owners and pets; and having a full-time clinic.

“Our focus is on trying to do the right thing,” Smith said.

Smith said the local shelter gets its animals from all over Anderson County, not just Oak Ridge, and the euthanization rate here is lower than the national average. He said part of the reason for the lower rate is because of the city’s registration policy.

But other successes are the volunteers and animal support groups that give time and money.

Smith said one of the shelter’s most recent donations was 1,400 pounds of food from BARK, a group made up of Anderson County High School students. Other donations have come from fundraising events sponsored by SARG (Shelter Animals Rescue Group and the YPOR (Young Professionals of Oak Ridge). The shelter also partners with the Anderson County Humane Society.

That money could be used to make some of those “dreams” come true. The shelter has already used some of the money for air-conditioning, which is a first for the local shelter.

But the future dreams call for much more.

“We want to make the shelter fun and inviting,” Smith said. “We want to upgrade the lobby, separate the clinic and adoption areas. We want a controlled area for quarantined animals and we want play areas.

“If we make it clean and inviting, the animals will do the rest,” the lieutenant said.

Page 2 of 2 - He said the staff and volunteers are looking at ways to host adoption events and promote the shelter and those events.

“This is great work, very forward thinking,” said Mayor Tom Beehan.

Council member Anne Garcia Garland had several suggestions including using the city’s Recyclebank points as shelter-designated donations, putting animal photos online, and using the services of others such as high school and Roane State Community College students and Scouts for special projects.

Council member Chuck Hope added a continued relationship with groups like SARG is a key to success.

Council members also briefly discussed “revisiting” the city’s contract with Anderson County for bringing the county’s stray or unwanted animals to the city shelter.

“If we were a corporation, we’d be in bad shape,” Akagi said. “We’re not trying to make money but we’d like to break even.”